September 25, 2023

Title: WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR (REPRISE) (Freestyle)

Constructor: Matthew Stock

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Freestyle: This is a themeless puzzle. WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR is a nod to WHERE'S WALDO (34A: "Find the guy in a re-and-white-striped shirt" book).

Things I learned:

• ARTHUR (3D: Jazz saxophonist Blythe) ARTHUR Blythe (1940-2017) was a jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been called "one of the greatest alto saxophonists of his generation." ARTHUR Blythe began playing the alto saxophone when he was nine years old; by the age of 13, he was playing in a rhythm & blues band. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• PARASOL (14A: Umbrella seen in "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte") A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is a painting by Georges Seurat.

  

  A Sunday Afternoon on
  the Island of La Grande Jatte

  
  The painting shows people at a park along the banks of the River Seine; several of the people are holding PARASOLs. The painting, which is quite large (81.7 inches x 121.25 inches), is currently on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. If you've seen the 1986 movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, you may remember that this painting was featured in the movie.
• SELES (33A: Tennis legend Monica) Monica SELES is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.
• WHERE'S WALDO (34A: "Find the guy in a red-and-white-striped shirt" book) The titular character of the WHERE'S WALDO book series is identifiable by his red-and-white-striped shirt, knit hat, and glasses. Fun fact: These books originated in the United Kingdom, where WALDO is known as Wally.
• SEA GODS (61A: Poseidon and Tangaroa)  In Greek mythology, Poseidon is the GOD of the SEA, storms, earthquakes, and horses. In Māori mythology, Tangaroa is the GOD of the SEA, lakes, rivers, and creatures that live in them.
• HALO-HALO (11D: Crushed ice-and-coconut milk dessert from the Philippines) HALO-HALO is the unofficial national dessert of the Philippines. The cold treat is made from crushed ice and coconut milk or evaporated milk. Various ingredients, such as ube jam, garbanzo beans, or coconut strips may be added. We saw HALO-HALO as a theme answer December 15, 2021.
• ANEMONE (12D: Organism in which clownfish live) Clownfish are also known as ANEMONEfish. These fish have a symbiotic, mutualistic relationship with sea ANEMONEs. The ANEMONE protects the clownfish from predators, and the clownfish eat the leftover scraps of the ANEMONE'S meals. In return, the clownfish defends the ANEMONE from its predators and excrement from the fish provides nutrients for the ANEMONE.
• DAPHNE (23D: Member of the Scooby-Doo gang who always has something handy in her purse) In the Scooby-Doo franchise, DAPHNE Blake's signature color is purple, which she often pairs with pink. Daphne's purse - which is purple, of course - is the source of an odd assortment of items.
• NEOPETS (Website with virtual animals) On the NEOPETS website, users can create and care for virtual pets. Users are expected to feed and care for the NEOPETS; if neglected, their health will limit gameplay. NEOPET owners can also acquire a number of items that are used to interact with their PETS, such as toys.
• PANTONE (37D: Company with a color of the year) Pantone is a company best known for its standardized color matching system. Since 2000, Pantone has named a Color of the Year. The 2023 Pantone Color of the Year is Viva MAGENTA, a "new, animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint."

Did today's puzzle title seem familiar? You may recall that Matthew Stock has been treating us to a series of puzzles based on the titles of songs from High School Musical. Yesterday we saw the third in the series, titled "WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR." In a perfect follow-up to yesterday's puzzle, today we have a  reprise. In musical theater, a reprise is a repetition of an earlier song, often with changed lyrics. In this case, we have two completely different puzzles with the same title. While yesterday we were LOOKING FOR TROUBLE, LOVE, and ALASKA, today we're LOOKING FOR WALDO. Well done, Matthew! Thank you for this delightful series of puzzles.